Woodson surprises Tarver every day

Raiders safety Charles Woodson, who was cut by the Packers after last season, says he has a lot left in the tank. And he has a big believer/supporter in defensive coordinator Jason Tarver.

“Charles, his bursts surprise me every day,” Tarver said Tuesday. “The guy just covers ground. He had a couple interceptions at practice today. He’s an amazing athlete. That’s why he’s a big piece of getting this defense to where we want it to go in our black jerseys, and hopefully that cements his legacy – because he can still cover ground.”

Tarver praised Woodson’s ball skills.

“He’s got great feel for when the quarterback is going to release the ball and that’s still there,” Tarver said. “He’s practiced all camp and he’s still as explosive out of his stance, and that’s what makes the great DB’s great, is that ability to close the distance at the point of no return when that ball’s in the air. He’s showing that, and obviously we hope it continues.”

Tarver said all the teams that Woodson has been on have been ball-hawking ones and this Raiders team is no different.

“There’s only one ball,” Tarver said. “That’s our job, to get the ball. The ball scores points, not the player, and when the ball is in the air, we’ve got to go get it. Having Charles around, that stuff can be contagious. … Our guys are learning, and he’ll whisper to them. He does a good job. He’s been great with the young players.”

Tarver also touched on the return of starting defensive tackle Pat Sims, back Tuesday after missing 16 of 17 practices with a hamstring injury.

“What I like about (him) is he knows his assignments,” Tarver said. “Pat is a smart football player, so I don’t think mentally he’s too far away from knowing his assignments – it’s more of just getting reps. And that can be accomplished through drills and through team periods. So I’m excited about that as we go forward.”